It's Mr Darcy's 'handsome features and noble mien' that make him the star attraction at the Lucas's ball in Pride and Prejudice. That, and the small matter of his 'having ten thousand a year'. Using the National Archives Website we can see why he was such a catch. In today's money that's an annual income of just under £350,000. Add to that whatever he would be making from CAP (I guess Pemberley had a few farms) and he'd be doing well.
Given the fuss over the private schooling of our politicians you'd think privilege was something new to politics. But Lord Salisbury, prime minister at the turn of the last century, had a fortune of £6 million. Today that would be almost £350 million. With that sort of fortune you're pretty incorruptible.
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